


Just Another Day

by Bizarra



Category: Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Voyager
Genre: Elder Janeway/Chakotay, F/M, JC Tropefest, shuttle crash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-02
Updated: 2020-03-02
Packaged: 2021-02-27 19:47:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,934
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22981231
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bizarra/pseuds/Bizarra
Summary: Even in his sixties, Chakotay still can't fly a shuttle. ;)
Relationships: Chakotay/Kathryn Janeway
Comments: 32
Kudos: 94
Collections: Janeway/Chakotay Trope fics





	Just Another Day

The dusty air cleared as the Federation shuttlecraft settled into the muck it had just slammed into. A branch from the tree it lay under dropped hard onto the solid roof, the dull thud sounded through the broken cabin. A woman in her early sixties groaned as she pushed up from the deck floor she’d landed on. She slowly sat assessing her injuries. She felt a dull pain in her side and the thumping in her head was telling of some sort of head injury. She lifted a hand to feel, what would certainly be a growing knot on the right side of her forehead. She hissed in pain at the touch and pulled away to see blood. She growled as a flash of annoyance drifted through her.

“Dammit, Chakotay!” It was then she realized she hadn’t seen or heard her husband yet. She twisted and rolled to her knees. “Chakotay?”

Admiral Kathryn Janeway surveyed the debris, looking for the man who’d insisted on accompanying her on this mission. If Starfleet thought **she** was stubborn… Damn the man. “Commander, if you’ve gone and killed yourself on me, I will never forgive you.” She heard a grunt and saw something shift.

“I’m right here, dammit.” Chakotay shoved a hunk of metal off his chest. “Stop yelling at me, Kathryn and help get whatever this is off my leg.”

She gingerly made her way to the helm panel where her husband lay. “Are you hurt?” She asked as she approached him. He reached for her and she helped him sit. Together the pair pushed a sizeable chunk of what had apparently been a replicator off the older man’s lower leg.

“I don’t think so.” He gently checked her forehead. His dark eyes sparkled with humor, “only my pride.” 

She snorted, “Well, you are getting better at landing these things. This one’s only in two pieces.”

He laughed and swatted playfully at her. “Stop teasing me, woman, and get the medkit. I want to look at your head.”

“My head is just fine.”

“So is the rest of you, but I still need to make sure you don’t have a head injury that will come back and bite us later.”

Kathryn rolled her eyes. She eased to her feet and stepped over the scattered interior to the cabinet that held the medical supplies. She moved back to the center as Chakotay found a relatively clear spot to sit and assess their injuries. “What kind of atmosphere are we dealing with outside, I wonder? Do we have the power to run a scan?”

Chakotay retrieved the medical tricorder, took out its diagnostic tip and scanned his wife’s head. “I have no idea. When we’re finished, open the door. If you die immediately, I’ll get out the evac suit.”

She waved him away and glared. “You are hilarious.” She nodded toward the diagnostic tool, “well?”

“Sit still so I can heal this cut.” He ran the dermal regenerator along the wound, slowly adding new skin and healing the damage. “You don’t have a concussion, but you will probably have a headache.” He gave her a smile; the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes deepening and adding extra creases to his dimples. “Sorry, Kathryn.”

She returned his smile, then leaned against him. “I’ll forgive you, this time.” She breathed deeply and turned serious, “are you sure you’re not hurt? Please don’t hide anything from me.”

He handed her the tricorder, “here, see for yourself. I may hurt like hell tomorrow, but I’ve got a hard head. I’ll be okay.”

Kathryn scanned him to find that he was indeed telling her the truth. The worst injury was a growing bruise framing his tattoo. “Okay, let’s figure out where the hell we are and set up the distress beacon.”

Chakotay pushed some debris to the side with his foot and made his way to the navigational controls of the shuttle. A quick check told him there was power left. Out of curiosity he tried hailing the ship they’d been based on. “Chakotay to Enterprise, can anyone hear me?” He waited a moment then tried a direct communication, “Admiral Chakotay to Admiral Picard.” When there was no response he called back to his companion. “No response from the ship, Kathryn. I’ll set up an automated distress call, then activate the beacon.”

“Well, we’re due to rendezvous with Enterprise in 24 hours, so they can’t be far.” So far this mission had been fraught with problems. They’d been on a diplomatic tour with Picard and the Enterprise to speak to a few of the new members of the Federation. Welcoming them to the fold and to ensure Starfleet that the new members had no hidden agendas. “Hopefully they’ll find the beacon soon.”

“I’ve just run a scan on the atmosphere outside and we should be fine.” He moved toward the emergency supply cabinet. “It’s warm out there, so we’ll need as much water as we can gather.” He handed a backpack to Kathryn as she approached. Once his hand was free, he wrapped his arm around her and pulled her close. “For a moment before we hit the ground, I thought I was going to lose you, Kathryn.” He buried his nose into her greying hair and held her tightly.

She held him close, closing her eyes to the same emotion. “I’m too damned stubborn to walk away from you, Chakotay.” She angled her head up and kissed him. “But, I really need to ensure we have a capable shuttle pilot before we leave any ship.”

He chuckled, “all right, let’s venture outside and explore our surroundings.”

The pair pried open the door and stepped from the relatively comfortable temperature of the _Asimov_ into a stifling heat. Kathryn shielded her eyes to the bright sun and immediately felt the back of her neck start to sweat. “Why can’t you ever crash land us on a perfectly temperate planet.” She turned to the silver-haired man next to her, “It’s either one extreme or the other with you, Chakotay.”

He smirked as he stepped off the ramp and turned to take her hand, “I like to keep your life interesting, Kathryn.”

She laughed, “that you do,” She stepped down and turned toward the shuttle. “It could have been worse.” The small ship was severely dented, one of the nacelles was lying a few feet away and there was a giant crack along the aft hull. What caught Kathryn’s eye was what looked like a scorch mark along the _Asimov’s_ side. “Chakotay, look at this.”

She brushed her hand alongside the damage as his footfalls stopped at her side. “I think we were shot down.”

Chakotay inspected the mark and agreed. “We need to keep phasers handy in case whoever shot us down decides to make sure we didn’t survive the crash.”

She set her backpack on the ground to retrieve the weapon inside. “Well, they clearly haven’t met Admiral Nine Lives.” She smiled and stood, wrapping the weapons belt around her waist. Once both the phaser and tricorder were attached she replaced the backpack and waited until Chakotay was ready to go.

“We should probably not stay near the shuttle then.” Chakotay used the tricorder to scan the local area for life signs. “No one’s here yet.” He pointed straight in front of them. “Let’s head toward those hills. Could be somewhere to hunker down and shelter for the night.”

Kathryn nodded. “Hopefully Picard will find us if we’re not with the shuttle.” She started walking when Chakotay did.

—

What felt like hours later, Kathryn stopped. “Chakotay, I’ve got to rest for a bit.” She took a generous swallow from her canteen and passed it over. They had shared the canteens to conserve water and save the other for when they might truly need it.

Sweat was dripping down her back, making her shirt soaking wet. She’d long ago dispensed with the jacket and turtleneck, keeping only the tank top on. “This feels like the most miserable Indiana summer you could imagine.”

Chakotay, who was similarly bedraggled chuckled. “I don’t have to imagine it Kath…” his sentence halted when the hair on the back of his neck stood on end. “Kathryn,” he whispered, “I think we’re being watched.” He reached for her hand and draped the canteen over his neck. “Act like we’re just moving back out. I don’t want to give that we’ve noticed.”

She met his eyes and gave him the answer he needed. After so many years together, they spoke non-verbally as well as any telepaths they knew. “When we get home,” she spoke, so as not to rouse suspicion. “I think we need to spend time with our grandson. He likes the forest behind our house.”

Chakotay nodded. He’d understood her message. Davis was their second grandchild, so she’d seen two aliens in the forest in the direction of their shuttle, on their left. Subtly his hand moved to his phaser, and he eased them closer to what little coverage the trees they stood amongst would give. “I’ll have to take him and his sister to the edge the next time they’re down.” 

As soon as he spoke, Chakotay pushed her behind him and took a shot. “Run toward that cave behind us. I’ll cover you!”

“Chakotay!”

“Don’t argue with me, Kathryn, just go.” A shot whizzed over his head and he realized they were using projectile weapons. His voice softened to one of concern, “be careful, Captain. Those are bullets.”

“You too, Commander.” With her soft words, she turned and made her way to the cave, using trees as cover as she went. Once inside, she did a quick scan to assure herself she was alone. The last thing she wanted to do was disturb some animal’s habitat.

To keep herself occupied, she set about concealing their shelter and preparing it for the coming night. With each pop of a weapon, she startled and prayed to the spirits that Chakotay would return to her.

Her busywork finally done, Kathryn sat and went through her backpack, to see exactly what supplies they had available to them. She found a small rolled-up blanket and enough MRE’s for two days. She set the food kits aside and reached in the bag, when suddenly she realized she had heard no shots for a while. She looked around, her senses immediately on alert.

Kathryn picked up the phaser and moved to her feet. She eased herself to the now covered cave entrance. With a whispered plea to any gods listening that Chakotay was okay, she pushed aside the branches. As she did so, she heard a crunching step and stopped. She flattened herself as best she could against the damp wall of the cave and held her weapon at the ready.

“Kathryn.”

At the sound of his whispered voice she relaxed. “I’m here.” She moved so he could enter. “Are your friends with you?”

Chakotay hunched his large form and crossed deeper into their hiding space. “No. I think I got them both.”

It was then she noticed that he was clutching his shoulder and blood was dripping between his fingers. “Looks like they got you too.” She moved closer and pushed him to sit against the wall. “Let me see how bad it is.”

“I’m okay, Kathryn.” He leaned back and winced. 

She gave him a mild glare and scanned him with the medical device. Kathryn untied the uniform shirt from her waist and pulled it into strips. She wadded the rest of the shirt up and turned to him. “There’s an exit wound, so I don’t have to dig the projectile out.” 

“Oh good,” Chakotay hissed when she pressed the material to the wounds. “Ow! Careful, that hurts.” 

“I have to stop this blood flow,” she explained as she did her best to bandage the wound with what she had on hand. “So who do you think they were?” She asked, hoping to take his mind off the pain.

Chakotay shook his head. “I don’t know.” He grimaced. “They looked like Panorans, but everything we’ve read about Panora doesn’t support an attack like this.”

Her work done, she sat back and waited to make sure the blood had truly stopped. “How do you feel? Do you feel faint? Pain?” She turned to put together a hypospray of pain reliever if he wanted it.

Chakotay shook his head. “No, c’mere.” He held out his uninjured arm and beckoned for her to lean against him. “Settle here. Let’s try to get some sleep.” He pressed a kiss to the top of her grey head. “Love you, my Captain.”

Kathryn snuggled against him and closed her eyes when she felt his kiss. “Love you too, Commander.”

-

Chakotay startled awake. The morning sun was streaming through the makeshift door, but that wasn’t what woke him up. As his eyes opened fully they settled on what had awakened him. There was a grey alien crouched in front of them, watching the pair closely; weapon at the ready.

How long he’d been there, Chakotay had no clue. That the alien hadn’t killed them as soon as he found them meant they could negotiate with him. Lucky for him, Starfleet’s most decorated negotiator lay sleeping in his arms. If he could just gently wake her up without setting off the alien.

He had no idea if their captor could understand him, but he spoke anyway. “I’m going to wake up the Admiral. She can talk to you. See what you want.” At that moment, the angry warrior asserted himself, and Chakotay hissed out a threat. “If you so much as breathe wrong on a single hair on her beautiful head, I will end you so fast you won’t see it coming.”

The ridges on the man’s nose wrinkled as he grunted and sharpened his aim. 

He drifted his hand over the shoulder and front of the woman sleeping at his chest. “Kathryn,” he gently said.

“Hmmm,” she mumbled.

“Admiral,” he spoke assertively, “I need you to wake up.”

Her eyes popped open at the tone of her husband’s voice. Blue eyes met concerned brown, and she knew immediately that they were in danger. She saw him glance up to someone clearly there. Slowly, so as not to arouse suspicion, Kathryn moved the arm that wasn’t visible behind her and grasped the phaser that lay on the ground between them. She passed it from one hand to the other, then set it on the bridge their bodies made where they met at Chakotay’s stomach.

Chakotay’s hand moved to wrap around the handle of the phaser. He quickly set it to heavy stun and held it at the ready should they need it. He wasn’t lying about the threat, though this time the alien was lucky. He wouldn’t kill the man. Unless he actually hurt Kathryn. All bets would be off then and the man would be dead before he drew his next breath.

“I will be turning around,” Kathryn told their, so far unseen to her, intruder. When she heard no response, she slowly turned holding both hands up to show they were empty, yet carefully so the movement wouldn’t reveal the weapon Chakotay held. She winced when the hip she’d slept on twinged as she pivoted on it. Damn she was getting too old to sleep on cave floors.

Now facing front, she could see the alien was a Panoran, but his clothing was unusually colored. Perhaps from a specific sect. One that might object to Federation involvement. She’d studied the Panoran language for this mission, so hopefully that would help. She addressed the man in his, she hoped, native tongue.

“Why are you shooting at us? We’re not your enemy.” Kathryn opened. Hoping to suss out whether he assumed they were on the bad side of his equation.

“Your Federation does not speak for me, or for my people.” The man snapped. “We want no part of it.”

Okay then. An opposing group. “Who are you? What do your people want?”

“I am Tanis, leader of the Roga Panorai. We wish to be left alone.” He growled, “the Federation has only brought other aliens to our world, to destroy it. To invade our way of life.” He scooted forward, his sharp blue eyes shooting daggers of their own.

“We can help to ease hostile attacks on your world—”

“No!” He yelled as he interrupted her. The man scooted closer, his weapon now close to Kathryn’s head, “your Federation caused massive casualties when aliens who called themselves Breen invaded our world!”

It took everything she had in her to not flinch when the barrel of the weapon pressed against her temple. She felt Chakotay’s hand tighten around the phaser against her back. Kathryn took a deep breath. She hadn’t known the Breen were on the move again. This would pose an extra problem.

“The Federation can help against the Breen.” She answered calmly. “We’ve had encounters with them before and have weapons that can counteract theirs.” She carefully lifted her hand, “if you put your gun down, we can talk calmly.”

At that moment everything happened at once. Kathryn saw movement out of the corner of her eye, Tanis lifted his weapon, Chakotay took a shot, She felt a searing pain, and then everything went black.

When she awoke, the light was bright. Squinting, she looked around trying to figure out where she was. Finally, the sounds of hushed voices and beeping crept into her consciousness and she realized she was in a sickbay. Kathryn leaned upward on shaky arms, looking for any sign of her husband. That he wasn’t there when she woke meant he was on a bed somewhere. Hopefully alive.

“Admiral Janeway,” The calm voice of Beverly Crusher interrupted her search and Kathryn turned toward the doctor. “I see you’re awake.” Hands attempted to push her back down, but Kathryn resisted.

“Where is he?” She scanned the room again, still not seeing the familiar form.

Beverly put a hand up and smiled, “He’s all right Kathryn. I’ve got him in the recovery alcove.” The physician explained. “I’ve just completed surgery on his gunshots. The shoulder wound was an easy fix. The chest wound—”

At that, Kathryn sat quickly. “Chest wound? When did that happen?”

The doctor nodded. “The Admiral had been shot just above his heart.” At the gasp, Beverly leaned on the side of the biobed her friend occupied and explained. “I think Chakotay and the Panoran might’ve shot each other at the same time. The other man is dead. His aim probably wavered when Chakotay’s blast hit him first.”

Kathryn’s hand went to her mouth. Suddenly all of her fears came to the fore. “How bad?” She turned to scoot off the bed, when Beverly stopped her. 

“Kathryn, I need you to stay put. You’re still healing from your own injury.” With a gentle pat to her patient’s leg, Beverly assured, “He’ll recover fully, I can promise you that. I was able to repair the damage.”

Kathryn’s relieved exhale was audible. “Thank you, Beverly.” She glanced down briefly, then met her friend’s eyes. “Can I… I need to see him. Be with him.”

“Of course.” Beverly wrapped her arms around the shoulders of the older woman and helped her down from the biobed. “Slowly. Remember, you are still dealing with a head injury, Kathryn.” She explained. “We think the alien slammed his gun into your right temple.”

From what little she remembered, Kathryn had a feeling that assumption was correct. Tanis must have hit her, then shot Chakotay when he’d reacted. She shuffled slowly with the guidance of the doctor as they moved across the room and into the surgical suite. Beverly led her over to another small alcove that contained a bed on which her husband slept.

Kathryn shook off the leading hands and walked the rest of the way herself. Once she approached the man who had given her a richer life than she could have imagined she gently caressed his face. “It’s a good thing you’re a better shot than you are a shuttle pilot, my crazy warrior.” She leaned and pressed a kiss to his still lips. “I don’t know what I’d do without you after all these years.”

When he didn’t respond, she glanced up at the console that displayed his vital signs. She took a deep breath when his vitals showed he was recovering. It truly was a case of him sleeping off the anesthesia. She sat in the chair that Beverly placed next to her, clasped Chakotay’s hand and settled in, waiting for him to wake.

—

A couple hours later, Kathryn still sat next to the biobed and took a drink from the cup she held. She turned the page of the book balanced in her lap and continued to read. She glanced up when she saw movement and smiled. “Welcome back, Sleeping Beauty.” Kathryn moved the items she held and stood. She brushed a hand through his silver hair and traced her fingertips over his face. “You had me worried there for a bit.”

“I’ve survived worse.”

She leaned closer and took his hand, “one of these days you won’t, and that’s what scares me, Chakotay.”

He wrapped his fingers around hers, “Not today.” He pulled her close and kissed her strongly. As she pulled away, he smiled. “How are you?”

“I’m fine.” She smiled at his raised eyebrow. He’d clearly been living among the Janeways a bit too long. “I’ve got a powerful headache, but it’s starting to fade.” She dragged a finger across his tattoo, “now that you’re awake and okay.”

He started to sit with a groan, “where’s that sexy doctor?”

Kathryn gave him a light tap on the shoulder, “you are incorrigible.”

“What?” Chakotay asked with an innocent look on his face. “I just want to go back to our quarters and make out with my beautiful wife.”

Kathryn gave him a humored glare at his response. 

Beverly Crusher walked up to the bed as she heard the comment from her patient. She scanned him to assess his healing injuries. She grinned, “you’re not making out with anyone for at least twenty-four hours, Admiral.”

“Dammit,” Chakotay muttered. 

Kathryn chuckled, “Well, if you’d let Tom Paris teach you how to fly a shuttle properly, you wouldn’t be in this mess. Again.”

Chakotay sat up, “Only if you’ll let Sekaya teach you how to cook.”

Kathryn turned to her old friend and smirked, “He’s sleeping in sickbay tonight.”

Chakotay wrapped his arms over his wife’s shoulders, leaned into the side of her head and spoke softly into her ear. “No, he isn’t. He’s coming home with you, whether you like it or not.”

Beverly laughed. “He’s right.” She turned to her patient and gave him his discharge orders, “You will be sore for a while and you may be woozy for a day or so from the lingering effects of blood loss and anesthesia.” When her patient slowly slid off the biobed, she pointed her finger, “I wasn’t kidding about the making out.”

“You know,” Chakotay started as Kathryn led him toward the door. “I don’t recall either of us ever listening to doctor’s orders.”

Kathryn settled against her husband’s side as he leaned heavily on her, “well, tonight you are going to listen to them, you stubborn old cuss.”

His responding pinch caused her to jump and yelp in surprise as the doors slid closed behind them.

Beverly rolled her eyes and walked back into her office muttering about annoying high ranking patients.

Fin


End file.
